Fallen Angel

Chapter Four

While we ate my mind keep drifting back to the earlier discovery, the white feather. I tried to shake it from my thoughts but it stuck like gum does to hair. I had taken it from the little ones hands and told them to head inside and wash their hands. Now we all sat on the carpet eating the delicious ice cream, hmm... Mint chocolate chip.

Even Jade was with us, laying on her stomach and slowly devouring the rocky road she held in her hands. The children ate theirs in quick spoonfuls, some exclaiming they had a brain freeze. I giggled, a habit I inherited from my mother. Something my father always sighed to, saying he was stuck living with two hyenas. That earned sour expressions on both my mothers and I faces.

Snooker doodles, school tomorrow. It wasn't that bad but it still wasn't great either. I'm not a loner type or anything but I like to stay in a close net of friends. I try not to draw too much, or any, attention to myself. Under the radar is what I strive for really. My mother is always pushing me to get more involved with school activities and such but my dad doesn't care much as long as I keep my grades up and reputation clean.

I get called a goody too shoes a bunch of times but it's not like I can blame them, me being someone who doesn't take many risks. I stay on track with school work and take photography classes as well as art classes after school. And of course, sometimes on the weekends I volunteer at the daycare and watch the kids with a chaperone. It's just something I take pleasure in, it's nice to take of them and spend some time just laughing and having a good time. I can't really remember how I even got involved, it just happened.

My friends think I'm sorta weird doing so, saying things like, why would you want to have to look after little buggers. I'd swear on my soul my friend Kate was somehow related to Jade in some crazy way even with no looks in common between the two. Both were complete cynical and judgmental so it was like I was always with them both no matter who of the two was with me.

Kate and I had met in elementary school and stuck together ever since, like glue to paper. She acted the part of my older sister, the sibling I never had to look after me. Standing up for me through the teasing and bullying, she was my guardian angel. Though, Like I said before, she's more on the negative than the positive side. Always suspecting the worst and questioning the best with weary suspicion. But I love her with all her shadowed sides.

There was also Isaac, someone I met my first year of high school. It took him a while to open up from his awkward and tight shell but when he did, he revealed to being pretty awesome. It took even longer for Kate to accept him and his fumbling habits but, after awhile she came to terms with the added member of our group. Both him and I avoid any more attention then require, which is what makes us so close. With both of us being considered "nerds" it's good to have him as a friend since we have more than a couple of classes together and so neither of us have to shy away from being closed off to most of the world.

Lastly, there's the twins. James and Julia are what the dictionary call, complete opposite. James, well, Jem is loud and the cup of coffee in the morning when you were too much in a rush to have time to both make and drink it. He's the that is cracking jokes and keeping the peace among our tiny tribe. Now Julia. You rarely ever hear her talk, she's a soft soul is what I like to call her. Every one can tell you this, the teachers even side step making her input any vocal opinion. Her sweetness and kindness just force you to understand and accept that fact about her. But when she does talk, you know she means business.

I can't really recall just how those two became part of our small populated world but somehow they gained two free tickets. When Jem is there, Julia is there and same goes the other way around. No one protest their joining, not even Kate. If it had been up for debate I'd bet all my goodness that James would start listing reasons as to why they should roll with us, maybe even convince us that we needed him, who knows. And Julia, she wouldn't even say anything, just flash us a smile and we'd be hooked by that one expression she seemed to posses.

I tucked the mysterious feather into my bag and cleaned up the kids, wiping all hands and faces while Jade continued to lounge on the carpet. Afterwards, we waited for all the parents to come and pick up their children and wished them a good day. I finished resorting the place from being tossed around by little four and five year old, preparing it for a repeating process tomorrow. Feeling pretty satisfied I turned to my last task of the day.

"Come on Jade, time to go home." I carefully pulled the ice cream cup out of her stretched out hand and threw it away.

"No," The word half muffled with her face pressed into the ground. "Too tired to drive," She stubbornly stated.

I sighed, something I liked to avoid doing.

"Come on Jade, please? You know I can't let you stay." I swerve, sometimes I have trouble remembering I'm only seventeen.

When she didn't budge I heaved another sigh before lifting a hand, "I'm going to count to three and you better be off that floor and through that door before I get to three." I was serious on all accounts.

"One.."

"Two.."

"Alright, alright! God." She gambled and staggered the whole way but made it outside. I have no idea why that works, but it does and I'm not going to question it. But man, she sure does make me forget I'm only seventeen.

Locking the door behind me I headed to building next door and handed the keys over to Ana. Turning to the left of the parking lot I made my way to my bike, unlocking it and swing a leg over. Just as I was about to put my feet onto the pedals and start towards home, I was stopped.

"So.. how long have you been on earth?"